


Ok to be tired

by Velegathra



Category: Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: Blood Loss, Cuddling & Snuggling, Developing Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, Magic, Medical Procedures, Monsters, Soft Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-02
Updated: 2020-02-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:41:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22534159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Velegathra/pseuds/Velegathra
Summary: To save a victim on a monster hunt Geralt has to perform a blood transfusion (magic involved). Jaskier is a universal donor. Geralt is not amused. Jaskier is dizzy and cold. Cuddling ensues.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 104





	Ok to be tired

**Author's Note:**

> Your milage may vary depending how you like my off label use of witchers magic.

They where too late. 

The little girls father had guided Geralt to the place where she was taken from and they tracked the Garkain from there. 

When they caught up on it, the girl was lifeless, the Garkains fangs sunk into it, draining it. 

The fight wasn’t even particularly long. Geralts speed and the girls fathers wrath where deadly. The poor man got a slash in the flank, but otherwise he was fine. The girl on the other hand, her skin seemed translucent with the lack of blood.

* * *

Jaskier felt the darkness of the world pressing in on him, when he saw Geralt falling to his knees, shoving her grieving father aside. 

He stepped behind Geralt. Seeing his face full of tension, the white hair disheveled, eyes still dark from a fading potion, he put his hand on the witchers shoulder.

Geralt heaved the child up, pressing the lifeless body to the side of his face, closing his eyes. 

And Jaskiers heart just… _broke_ , seeing him like this.

He pressed Geralts shoulder, watching the disturbed and angry look the grieving father gave them. 

Jaskier bowed down and murmured 

“Geralt…“, he swallowed “It’s…“

He never finished, being cut off by a growled 

“Shut up“

The witcher slid his finger over the wound where the Garkain had taken her blood, touching the remaining red and bringing it up to his lips. He licked it. Jaskier scrambled back. 

“Geralt you can’t.“

Geralt walked over to her father touching his bleeding wound and _again licked his fingers._

_“_ Fuck“

He turned to Jaskier and growled.

The bard nearly took a step back when he grabbed his arm and leaned close to his face. 

“Help me?“

Jaskier managed a shaky nod, biting his lip and Geralt _ripped_ his doublets collar open.

And Jaskier _definitely_ didn’t squeak but then Geralt lowered his chin, raising his eyebrows and looking up at him with that half smile he sometimes had, he uttered 

“Bear with me.“

And he shoved him down beside the body of the little girl.

The cornflower blue of Jaskiers eyes was nearly swallowed by the black of his pupils when Geralt grabbed his naked shoulder, pressing it into the ground and pulling a small dagger with the other hand. Jaskiers breath came rapidly when the tip pressed into the skin below his collar bone but he didn’t move, staring up at the witcher, his lips pressed together forming a sharp line. Geralt could hear Jaskiers heart flutter in fear but he didn’t move.

The pain wasn’t that bad, Geralt didn’t cut that deep. But the blood started to ooze out quickly and he tasted magic in the air, when Geralt started to work Aard in the red streaming from his wound, pumping it through the air and into the girl, pulsing into her wound pressing into her body. 

The girls father just sat beside them, looking very uncomfortable but too afraid to disturb the witcher. He was pressing a hand to the gush is his side and only very little blood was oozing through his fingers by now.

Jaskier just watched Geralts face intently, observing him working his magic. After half an hour Geralt started to sweat from the steady strain of his powers. This was different to a quick use of the signs. Jaskier looked at him wearily, while Geralt shoved his left into a pocket of his jacket and produced a potion, ripped out the cork with his teeth and swallowed it down. His eyes turned black again and the magic picked up in pace. Jaskier was getting cold. The feeling of his blood slowly leaving him to pulse trough the air was odd. A steady tug in the back of his mind reminding him that his life was kind of attached to it. But Geralt wouldn’t kill him.

* * *

After an hour Geralt stopped. His eyes were back to normal and his hands were shaking a bit from the steady use of magic. The girls cheeks and skin had gained colour and her breathing was visible and steady now. It took no witcher senses anymore to see that she was alive. Geralt pressed a rag to her wound to close it and picked her up, handing her unconscious body to her father.

“You need to take her to town, to a healer.“

Geralt whistled for Roach and took their bags off her. “You ride Roach to town and then send her back. She will find her own way here, you just let her go.“

The father nodded and climbed on the unhappy mare, but with a nudge from Geralt she let the strange man with the girl in his arms direct her to the town.

From the corner of his eye Geralt saw Jaskier moving to stand. His growled “stay down“ came to late, and the bard never listened anyway. He could only catch the rapidly collapsing body, preventing Jaskiers head from hitting the floor. He was out cold and his skin felt cool and clammy. The normally red lips showed a pale shade of blue.

“Fuck“

Geralt lifted Jaskier and carried him close to a tree stump. There he propped up his legs on the wood and examined the wound he gave him. It was still sluggishly bleeding into the fine blue velvet doublet. Jaskier would let him pay for that.

Geralt collected the sewing kit and booze from their bags. He disinfected the cut and put three stitches in Jaskiers shoulder to keep it shut, using the complain free time while he was still out.

Then he put his cloak over the bards body and started a fire. The old fashioned way. No more magic today. Maybe not for the next week. He felt drained to the bottom. He hadn’t tried to use that much of it since the trials. 

* * *

Jaskier stirred and tried to sit up. Geralt pushed him down quickly. “Stop it.“ The bard started to shiver, he looked confused. 

“Can’t see“, he choked. “Light just came back and now its gone again.“ His breathing was too fast and he pushed at Geralts hand that pinned him down. Geralt could hear the heart under his hand pick up speed as Jaskier was slipping into panic.

“Hey it’s fine you are safe, let your circulation come to terms“ He leaned down so that his face filled most of Jaskiers visual field even if he could’t see him at the moment, also preventing him from trying to get up again. 

“It’s ok.“ He rested his hand on Jaskiers forehead and pushed his fingers up into his hair. 

Jaskiers eyes locked into Geralts golden irises when the black slowly faded to the edge of his visual field and the colours started to come back. He still shivered, but his breathing and heart rate slowed down. 

“Where is the girl?“ He blinked. Geralts face was really close. He felt the others breath on his lips.

“Her father took her to a healer. Lend him Roach.“ Jaskiers eyes grew big. 

“She will come back here on her own, she’s a smart girl, but it will take her one or two hours.“

Jaskier wasn’t feeling like moving soon anyway. A tremor run through his body and he couldn’t really suppress it, even less hide it from a witcher. Geralt looked concerned. 

“Stay down“, he moved away to collect something from the fire, but even in this short span of time Jaskiers breathing picked up and the panic threatened to come back again. Soothingly Geralt put his hand back on the pale forehead. “I’m here.“ He lifted the bards head and offered a metal cup with a steaming liquid to his lips. 

“Slowly“, he commanded and put it aside after he drank half of it. The corners of Jaskiers mouth moved into a small smile. “You made me tea.“

“Hmmm.“ 

The smile grew. “With honey.“

“Can’t move you like this. You have to be up again until roach comes back.“

Geralt made him drink the rest of the cup. Shivers where still running through his body but they where less violent by now. 

* * *

“Think you can sit without passing out again?“ Geralt lifted his eyebrow giving him _that_ half smile again. Jaskier snorted. That man was such a tease if you knew him.

Geralt sat behind him and pulled Jaskier up against his chest. He stopped his manoeuvring when his own back leant against a tree. Jaskiers head was resting against his sternum and his feet had slipped from the tree stump. Warmth seeped from the witcher into his back and his front was still covered by the cloak. It smelled like Geralt. It did _things_ to Jaskier but he felt to weak to explore them further.

The shivering died down completely and Geralts hand found the bards hairline at his nape, his thumb drawing slow circles. He thought Jaskier had fallen asleep when he heard him murmur. 

“How much did you take?“

Geralt sighted. “More than I should have. A bit less than two pints.“ 

Jaskier nodded agains his chest. “Why mine?“

“Hmmm.“ Geralts other hand slipped protectingly over the stitches below his collarbone. “Because there are different kinds. Yours is … special.“

Jaskier shifts. “But you wanted to use her fathers first, is this why you licked…?“ 

“Hmmm. Sometimes possible. Not in this case.“ Geralts chest vibrated when he spoke and the feeling made Jaskier a bit giddy. 

He leaned his head back and looked up at Geralt. “So you can discern different kinds of blood by taste.“ It’s more a statement than a question.

Geralt shrugged, “Yeah.“ 

“Well, why didn’t you have to taste mine then? How did you know it would work.“ 

Geralts eyes darted away from Jaskier into the darkening woods. 

Jaskier huffed. “So when did you taste it?“

Geralts face became a bit more rosy, more human like in colour. The witchers equivalent to blushing, Jaskier knew by now. He poked a finger into Geralts side. “Tell me.“

Gerald blew out the breath he had been holding. The air tickled Jaskiers crown. 

“Ten years ago. When that guy cut your leg with the broken bottle.“ 

“Huh. Do you do this with everyone that you patch up?“

Geralt growled. “No.“

“Then why did you do it?“

“Because I needed…“ he squeezes Jaskier closer to him. “I _wanted_ to know. I like to know things.“ 

“But not about everyone? Are you saying I’m important to you?“ Jaskier grinned.

Geralt groaned and Jasker decided that he had pushed him enough for now.

“Ok, so why is my blood special?“

Geralts finger caressed Jaskiers hair. “Because every human can receive it.“ 

“And the blood of others not?“ 

Geralt shook his head. “No. It would harm them. There are different kinds. Back at the tavern I can draw it for you to understand, if you want me to.“ Jaskier hummed. The world was weird, he thought.

He twisted a bit to sit more comfortable and pulled one leg over Geralts under the cloak. His ear now rested against Geralts chest. The heartbeat felt sooting and he dozed away for a bit.

* * *

Jaskier was woken up by Geralts fingers rubbing his sternum and a hummed “Jaskier“ to his ear.

Roachs velvet nose brushed his face. It was dark by now.

He smiled at her. “Such a fine girl, you found us again.“ He scratched her head. “So smart.“

Geralt slowly helped him to his feet. He still felt weak, and cooled rapidly without the heat radiating of the witcher, but at least his vision stayed normal this time. Even if he felt still a bit wobbly on his legs, he was ok enough for now.

Geralt put their bags back on Roach and added the Garkains head and some organs in a gruesome old leather skin. The horse looked worn down. He stroked he flank and gave her some oats. It was going to be a long day. 

He helped Jaskier up into the saddle and started to walk. He could feel the bards smile in his back when he lead the way, guiding his tired horse with one hand on her reins.

* * *

It took them nearly one and a half hour until they reached the tavern. Geralt supported Jaskiers flank with one hand and let him brace on his shoulder when he dismounted Roach. He handed her to the stable hand and gave him some extra coin to tend her with care and feed her carrots tonight. 

Then he carried their bags inside. They where lucky and the room they where given was not too bad. It had a very decent sized bed and a fire place. Jaskier flopped down on the straw mattress looking up at him tiredly. He was still way too pale and on their way back he hadn’t talked half as much as Geralt deemed normal. 

“Stay, I’ll get us some food and a bath.“

Jaskier pushed himself up on his elbows. “I’m not really hungry“, he murmured. “I’d rather sleep.“

“No“, Geralt growled and went downstairs. When he came back with some food, a bit of left over stew he had coaxed out of the taverns owner and a sleepy maid was set out to heat them some water to draw them their bath, he found Jaskier snoring softly.

Grumbling Geralt shook his shoulder. “Come on you need to eat.“ Jaskier flinched at the intrusion and Geralt hated himself for startling him. 

He helped him get up and Jaskier leaned against him heavily. His vision swam and greyed slightly and his ears whistled but then Geralt had placed him into a chair in front of the fire and handed him some stew and his body went back to normal. 

Geralt watched him closely while he ate, paying his own plate only little attention, shoving the food into his mouth carelessly. 

When Jaskier had finished everything on Geralts insistence, he took his arm and pulled him up. Ignoring the bards mewled protest, he bullied him into the room attached to their chamber, where a huge wooden tub was filled with hot water by now.

He stripped himself and when Jaskier wasn’t finished when Geralt was done, he pulled him out of the rest of his garments and pushed him into the tub, stepping in behind him. 

The water was hot and Jaskiers skin started to get the right colour again, Geralt noted absentmindedly while he washed the bards hair. 

Jaskier scrubbed himself down, wanting to get this over quickly, but after some minutes in the bath he flopped against Geralt. He was breathing heavily.

“Geralt. I need to get out.“ His voice was to quiet. 

Geralt rinsed his hair and grabbed him under the armpits to help him stand up, but Jaskier fell back against him. 

“Whats wrong.“ 

“Too hot. Dizzy.“

“Hmmm.“ 

Geralt collected his whole body in his arms and carried him to the bed. He dried Jaskier as much as he dared to touch him like this and laid him down on the beds side closer to the fire place. 

Jaskiers eyes looked like the dark blue of the ocean in the drawing shades of the fire and the candles. “Sorry“, he murmured.

Geralt pushed his water skin to Jaskiers lips. “Drink, but not too much.“ He took some slips and Geralt pulled it away from his mouth.

Jaskiers head fell back on the pillows, a stray drop of water running down his chin and his neck. Geralt swallowed and pushed down the unwanted urge to lick it from his skin.

“Not your fault this whole thing.“ Geralt tousled Jaskiers hair and pulled a blanket over him, not looking into his eyes. Then he went back into the cooling water, to finish his own bath. 

When he came back into their room, Jaskier had fallen asleep. 

The stitches under Jaskiers collarbone stood our stark against his light skin. Geralt inspected his work, while he pulled on some clean cloths for the night. 

The blood had been washed away by the bath, but it still looked raw. He quietly took out some healing salve and spread it tenderly over the stitched area, trying not to wake his bard. Then he slipped into the bed beside him and extinguished the candles.

* * *

When Jaskier woke up he felt warm. He could feel the witchers breath in his neck. When he turned his head, golden eyes looked at him from in between half open lashes. Jaskier thought about the last day and felt disappointed about himself. He had been disgustingly weak.

“Sorry for slowing you down yesterday.“

Geralts hand found its way to his nape, starting to draw small circles scratching his hair lightly. “Not your fault.“ He squeezed his neck lightly. “The girl would have died, you know. If you wouldn’t have come with us.“ 

“Because of my blood?“ Jaskier swallowed. He didn’t want pity. “Couldn’t you just have used yours?“

Geralt shook his head. “My blood is practically poison for humans. Would have killed her.“ 

When Jaskier sat up he felt shaky and weak. Geralts hand didn’t leave him, steadying him bracing against any upcoming dizzy spells.

* * *

They got dressed and went downstairs for some breakfast. At a table by the window Geralt drew him an explanation into his notebook, why his blood was special, while he munched on scrambled eggs. 

“So you mean it’s safe for all other humans.“ 

“Hmmm.“

“Thats good“, he looked at the drawing. “Is it rare?“

“Yes.“ Geralt grabbed some bread. He looked unhappy, Jaskier decided.

“And why does it make you upset? You used it to safe the girls life yesterday.“ 

Geralt growled. “Not upset.“

“Aaaah my friend, see, by now I can definitely tell you are“, Jaskier cided.

He poked Geralts side. “Tell me.“

“It’s all in the drawing, no need to tell.“ He got up when he spotted the father of the little girl from yesterday enter the tavern. The man carried a nicely filled pouch of coins and a bag and looked pleased enough. 

“She is well and eating.“ He grinned. “Here, for your work, and I have some food from the farm for you.“ He handed him the pouch and bag. 

“She would be dead without you witcher. Please come by my farm, if you travel these lands again and I’ll make sure to give you something warm to eat.“ 

Geralt growled and dropped the goods into Jaskiers lap. “She would have died also _with_ me. The only reason why she’s alive is because of _him_.“ He pointed to Jaskier. 

* * *

“You where a bit hard on him. He just meant well“, Jaskier murmured when the good man was finally gone from the tavern. 

“It’s true. Without you, the kid would be dead.“ 

Jaskier sighted. “And also without your magic.“ A corner of his mouth looped upwards. “Let’s call it even.“ He rummaged through the food bag humming to himself. That rescue of the little girl would make a formidable song, or maybe two, in the future. 

* * *

Three days later they camped in the woods and the night was warm. Jaskier looked up to the stars, as their fire burned down to some last ambers. 

He turned his head to the witcher, who lay beside him, swallowed up by the darkness, only visible as a vague outline. 

“ _Oh…_ I get it now.“

“Hmmm. Get what.“ Geralt growled. 

Roach shifted somewhere in the dark to their right and sniffled lightly.

“Why you where upset. At the tavern. The thing about my blood being special.“

“Not upset.“ Geralts hand came to rest above the healing wound under Jaskiers collarbone. A warm weight over his chest. Jaskier grinned, the witcher was definitely upset.

“But you are. Because it works only one way.“ He entwines his fingers into Geralts, preventing him from slipping his hand away. “Am I right? If necessary, if someone is bleeding out, you can help every human being, by using me. But if I bleed out, chances finding someone with such special blood as mine would be incredibly rare. You wouldn’t be able to save me.“ 

Geralt turned and pulled Jaskier close, laying half on top of him, shielding him from the world. He just hold him silently for some minutes. Then he uttered “So you mustn’t bleed out then, do you get that?“ Geralts nose pressed into Jaskiers hair and he breathed in his smell. “You mustn’t be reckless.“

He placed a stray kiss onto Jaskiers temple. “And you don’t have to push yourself so hard. I used your blood. I know how heavy your body must work, to replace the amount I took.“ Geralt shifts a bit “I’d rather not’ve taken it at all… It’s ok for you to be tired.“

Jaskier was thankful for the darkness when these words unfurled in his mind, making his lips tremble and a choked sob shook his body. He could pretend he didn’t give. And when Geralt pulled him incredibly closer and nuzzled his face, well that was only a coincidence. 

**Author's Note:**

> Jaskier has in this fic blood type O negative, he's a universal donor.


End file.
